A long-awaited parking study commissioned by Flagler Beach government is proposing to start metered paid parking along 200-odd parking spaces on State Road A1A, for $1 per hour, and to convert one of its five parking lots into a paid lot. An app would be created to facilitate payments by credit card, but for an additional .35-cent fee per transaction.

The charge would be imposed seasonally, between mid-May and mid-September, and between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Parking spaces elsewhere in the core of the city, while remaining free, would be limited to three hours’ parking or face a $20 fine, as would those who park in a metered space past expiration of their time.

The plan is projected to raise $300,000 a year in the first three years, but would also cost the city considerable amounts to set up and to run, if it is to enforce new parking rules. Operating expenses alone would be close to $200,000 a year. Upfront capital costs would approach $200,000, and would cost more if financed over 10 years, at 4 percent interest. The system would rely on meter maids (euphemistically called “enforcement ambassadors” by the consultant hired for the study), a supervisor and a maintenance worker, totaling six new employees (five in the off-season), three of them full-timers.

It would not generate significant revenue for the city, but would largely be a system set up primarily to pay for itself and a management company, and to disperse parking differently across the core area of the city.

The study, to be discussed by the Flagler Beach City Commission at its meeting this evening, reopens a debate that has brewed in the city on and off for years, each time ending in inaction because of opposition to paid parking. The last such effort took place in spring 2015 and ended the way others had before. Commissioners warned that they may have little choice but to raise taxes without parking revenue. Property taxes have been rising, but modestly: The city’s tax rate in 2014 was $5.0573 per $1,000 in taxable value. This year, it’s $5.39.

Paid parking proposals have generally split the city between proponents who say it would bring additional revenue and burden visitors more than local residents, and opponents who say the city doesn’t have a parking problem except on rare occasions, such as during the July 4 or Holiday parade, and that paid parking would alter the character of the city, making it less friendly and inviting: the beach is often a low- to no-cost leisure activity for Flagler County and other residents who can’t afford longer day trips to more expensive theme-park-like venues.

Walker Consultants, the firm the city hired to produce the study, cautions that paid parking should not be seen primarily as a way to generate revenue. “The primary purpose for charging a fee for parking convenience is not the collection of revenue, although this is important,” the study states, “but rather to allocate a scarce resource efficiently. Most highly valued commodities in limited supply are often fairly rationed by price. Charging appropriate parking fees allows the market participants to value each asset properly.”

People parking a car along A1A or elsewhere in the downtown core, however, are not known to be in the business of valuing assets or considering themselves “market participants” as they do so, but to be out for a good time, convenience and as few hassles as possible. But the study assumes that the city will not be able to provide any new additional parking spaces or parking lots in the future, which “puts the City of Flagler Beach and its taxpayers,” the study states, “in the position of being the ultimate, sole provider of downtown parking for the foreseeable future because parking revenue at today’s parking rates is not sufficient to amortize the cost of new parking.”

There are no current parking rates, of course, which suggests that large parts of the study’s analysis and wording, such as the part quoted above, have been cut and pasted from previous studies in other towns, with the name and space numbers of the current town changed–but not the assumptions nor the analysis. The cut-and-paste approach is a common method for consultants scaling their work across multiple contracts. (Walker Consultants dubs itself the “world’s largest parking consulting firm”). It isn’t necessarily invalid. But it may undermine the analysis’s validity in relation to the unique character of a particular city.

The study area does not encompass all of Flagler Beach, and doesn’t cross the bridge to the mainland. Its scope is delineated by 10th Street North and 10th Street South, and from Flagler Avenue to State Road A1A. Within that rectangle the study identified 770 public parking spaces in the city, 655 of them on-street spaces, a third of those spaces north of State Road 100, the rest south of SR100.

Included in the numbers are the 120 spaces spread between five city-owned lots. Not included in the numbers are the 1,080 parking spaces tied to local businesses. The combined total is 1,850 spaces.

Many cities across Florida have paid parking, their cost ranging between $1, in West Palm Beach, to $2 an hour, on Treasure Island.

Walker Consultants recommends that the city hire a management company to run the system. The study doesn’t stop at analysis, but goes as far as giving plugs to such management companies, citing several of them. Walker calls meter maids “ambassadors” who “should be dressed in a non-threatening uniform” and who would not merely enforce the rules and write tickets, but “consider themselves a welcoming service to downtown.” Given Flagler Beach’s previous history with paid-parking prospects, they may be the only ones considering themselves so welcoming.

GOOD IDEA.. Another idea to i prove safety and traffic flow would be for Flagler Beach PD to actually enforce crossing double yellow line on A1A Southbound with the same zeal and enthusiasm they enforce the 25mph where the road was shifted over.

Fee parking is one of those things that makes flagler beach a special place, it sets itself apart from other beaches. Parking fees will run people and tourist away, then business to follow. Wake up commissioner, this is a bad idea!

Ok, lets take alook at this issue. I see two “financial beneficiaries ” on this parking issue.
1. Local tourist service providers.
2. Government of Flagler Beach.
Solution, put a 1% or less sales or “user tax” on A1A food businesses.
I, do realize this will reduce employment opportunities (meter maids) but so what?
Just an idea from a grouchy ols man.

If nobody is making any money what is the point of spending money just to make money back to pay for what we spent? Flagler beach is wonderful, the shops and restaurants are very diverse. For a family on a budget this is a perfect spot for family fun. You are basically charging people to go to a free beach and the businesses will suffer.

I thought the A1A rebuild design was the most ridiculous waste of time and money till this. In the summer months atleast 50% of parked vehicles are local residents. (Life guards, restaurant workers, beach goers.) How do you come up with a study with no clue who is a local resident and predict revenue if your not charging residents which shouldn’t happen. I’m thinking a change on the commission is needed.

Not a good idea. Are you going to give the locals parking permits so they won’t have to pay for parking when they shop with the local businesses. It would kill first Friday. Not everyone lives within walking distance to the pier area. There must be a better way that doesn’t support a consulting firm. The cons out weight the pros!

You gotta be kidding me. This is a bad idea, revolting actually, on so many levels. Annoying meter maids patrolling the streets like Draconian robots, doling out bad vibes, without even generating significant income for the city and its residents? Like this is going to keep the powers that be from raising property taxes anyway? What a joke. Just another nail in the coffin provided by short sighted government “officials” trying to legislate their way into somehow justifying and financing their own positions and benefits, in my opinion. Our beautiful, peaceful, and precious Flagler Beach is circling the drain, folks. Paradise lost. We have met the enemy, and they are us, if we let this stupid idea come to fruition.

The stated reason for this several years ago was that the city was having to spend extra money for garbage collection due to the beach-goers. I would rather pay extra money for garbage collection than put up with paid parking.

Think about it: if you are a business/church/whatever near the zone where this is to be implemented, and you have your own parking spaces and they implement this, then you are going to have a real problem with people parking on your property to avoid putting money in the meters. This is going to cost you even more than it would if they simply increased garbage collection fees.

Sounds like a big effort for basically no return .
Why not charge 2 dollars ?
What a slippery slope
I am totally against this idea of giving the law enforcement more reasons to exert their power .
Why dont they make the current signage more understandable so we dont keep getting tickets already .
The police presence in flagler is already oppressive enough .
Local police , sheriff , highway patrol already prey on us enough .

This is how it starts. There is no surer way for a local govermnent to insure the destruction of a local economy and to guarantee future investors will opt for other municipalities where there are attractions worthy of a parking fee. Flagler Beach is just that , a beach with a few restaurants. The area looks more like depressed sections of the New Jersey shore after the financial collapse. The City of Flagler Beach should encourage businesses and tourism to come to the area not chase them away.

Enough revenue should be being received by tourist development….there is no need for this additional tax…..it boils down to nothing but GREED. This will just add to what is making Flagler County one of the worse places to live and visit. Flagler County is the laughing stock of the state with the elected representation and leadership it has had. This is so sad. A bad idea!!

As a Flagler Beach resident, I support the parking fees suggested. I believe this is long over due. One dollar an hour is not too much to ask. The residents have been for years picking up the cost to have the garbage trucks run on the weekends to empty the containers along the beach. I seriously doubt any businesses will suffer as the majority of people who go to the beach bring their things with them and rarely support local eateries and shops. For those that do come to eat and shop, do you really think a few dollars for parking is going to influence their decision? I doubt it. For those where the few dollars does indeed propose a hardship, it appears that they still have the option of parking north/south of 10th street for free.

OK so WHY do this if ~”It would not generate significant revenue for the city, but would largely be a system set up primarily to pay for itself and a management company”. GOVERNMENT incompetence on full display here.

I lived years ago in Silver Spring Md….the local government had the same study, did put paid parking in place and within 3 yrs downtown Silver Spring was a ghost town…. totally destroyed the business base. It took millions and decades to bring it back. Always some government official trying to put his stink on something to justify the 40 hr weekly paycheck he is sucking down.

Thank you to the city for hiring a leading parking company who summarized that this will NOT be a way for Flagler Beach to make money; the program based on THEIR own data show it will be a wash, at best. The outlet mall in Daytona charges a “usage” fee and we all still flock there. Soooo, Why not add a % usage tax onto the A1A receipts like the outlet does and then that guarantees a $$$ income the city wants/needs without the capital expenses, stigma, and dune destruction/replacement after a hurricane of meters?

Expect some vandalism also to the meters when drunken people get pissed off about them and getting a parking ticket for not making it out of the bar in time to put more money into the meter. A bunch of very little experience politicians running that Municipality

I am a resident tax paying retired biker who enjoys a ride to Flagler beach every day. I have lunch at one of the great restaurant with friends and enjoy the ocean view. One of the reasons why I chose Flagler beach is free parking. Bikers are a large percentage of the economy which will be lost. Bad idea

Bad idea. One of the coolest things about Flagler Beach is exactly what this loose idea would destroy…Pull up, walk to the beach, enjoy the day. All this would do is piss people off and shift their spending elsewhere down the road. We choose to live here because it IS different from up north and even other beaches around us. Stop spending money on foolish ideas.

Bad plan that just creates red tape infrastructure to benefit already the pricey consultant hired, Flagler Beach government if any revenew left after consultant and contractor takes out their biggest size of their pie = the main profit first,,, and all in the back of those families traveling with their children to the afford the beach and also adding financial burden to our traditional surfers that maybe can afford but few dollars for a hot dog, burger or pizza slice and drink for their achy empty stomachs after strenuous healthy exercise riding those (free by now) waves. Another step geared to just benefit the financially well sacrificing all others.
Who elected your city commissioners? Maybe the wealthy elite elects FB representatives..? This is my personal view after residing in this county since 1991.

There is currently no parking problem in Flagler Maybe on July 4th. I live in the South section (redevelopment district) where they took 15 ft of my front yard for sidewalks and parking. I’ve receive no benefit from this, and occasionally get a parking ticket in front of my house. Now they’ll push all the daytrippers to the free parking in front of residences. Why are they trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist? Are they looking for tax money? Easy, Make everything from S 9th to Moody Blvd Commercial property. Bring restaurants and businesses in…..Trailer Park needs to go, sorry, but its time has past.

NOTE: DId anyone notice on the Parking study they failed to mention New Smyrna Beach, and the free parking there? Hmmmm……doesn’t sound like a fair and balanced study. New Smyrna actually has a parking issue because their downtown is so successful. We look like a bunch of dumb Salt Water Crackers. We don’t have the old world charm of St Aug, so its not comparable, nor is Del Ray Beach a comp.

Our town is laid out better than NSB, and more easily accessible. It would easy to draw businesses here. And not Biker Bars!!! I’m really not sure why the Commissioners/Residents seem unwilling to develop the downtown area. I don’t think its possible to remain a bedroom community any longer and provide the services necessary.

Hey why not make parking on the beach side all the down on AIA illegal with a huge fine except around Funky. Not going to happen. Raise the tourist tax in Flagler County, make them pay. Parking meters, wow, pathetic.

First: “It would not generate significant revenue for the city, but would largely be a system set up primarily to pay for itself and a management company, and to disperse parking differently across the core area of the city. ”

Then: “Commissioners warned that they may have little choice but to raise taxes without parking revenue.”

They are proposing something so they don’t have to raise taxes to increase revenues that will not significantly increase revenues. Something’s off.

What is there besides a beach ? It’s a run down town with mediocre restaurants. People with money to spend will go elsewhere …. All you will have is parents dropping off there kids to go to the beach . The town already destroyed the parking by eliminating many spots with the parallel fiasco.

There is not enough “Land” to park as it is. On the beach side of A-1-A the last few “Hurricanes” have done some damage. How are you going to build that up, to create “Paid Parking”? We are 1 major “Hurricane” away from losing parts of A-1-A. Leave it alone, it’s too much of a “Headache” as it is.

The majority of people who move to Florida already have low income, that’s why they moved to Florida, because it’s cheap to live and makes people with little money feel richer than they are. I fear most Floridians couldn’t afford to pay for parking. At the same time that will keep the crowd size at the beach down and create a more “locals only” feel which would be nice. Not every family can afford to go to the beach in 2019.

” opponents who say the city doesn’t have a parking problem except on rare occasions, such as during the July 4 or Holiday parade, and that paid parking would alter the character of the city, making it less friendly and inviting: the beach is often a low- to no-cost leisure activity for Flagler County and other residents who can’t afford longer day trips to more expensive theme-park-like venues.”

“We’re done, we’re finished,” Mayor Linda Provencher said, referring to the six-member committee that spent two years to come up with the recommendation it presented tonight. “Do whatever you want, we’re never meeting again. You can only go around and around so long.”

Linda, I thought we were finished???….Who hired Walker Consultants to do the 2018 study? How much were they paid? Was another parking study the 2018 budget and no one noticed?

Who on the commission keeps bringing this forward? I’m Going to Guess Rick Belhumeur.

We moved to Florida to get away for all the fees. Careful, if we let them put this fee in the next thing you are going to see is county representatives charging you for being on the beach. Not interested in the whole Northern nonsense of beach tags, and paying for parking.

So in this sampling of 45+ comments, the public sentiment is about 10 to 1 against this proposal. I am not familiar with how public referendums come to life, but can’t there be someway to let the citizens of Flagler Beach be involved in a decision like this that affects everyone living here, one way or the other?

All Flagerbeachers are going to fall of their chair once they learn home much your chosen commissioners paid the consultant for the studies! The waste starts with the consultants. We have professionals in cities and county payroll at very high pay given their credentials and demanded experience when hired and every time city or county needs to move a simple Coquina stone they contract an even higher cost consultant. Why then we pay administrative managers, engineers, architects, attorneys and their assistants 130,000 plus for… just to sign papers? The results are always higher taxes or additional fees.

I find it interesting that Flagler Beach Govt would even consider a parking fee or meters when the first phase of the A1A Rebuilding project is starting. What penalize the residents while construction is going on. Talk about low.

If the goal is to generate money for the city, why not consider attracting folks other than those who get in their car, drive through Dunkin Donut, park at the beach, throw their cups on the ground and cross back over the bridge. A healthy start to generating income would be cleaning up the arrival to the city when descending the bridge. Our present welcome to Flagler Beach is a vacant bank with gnarly tubes coming from the drive thru up and across the roof, that now serves as a parking lot for workers and those living in the nearby apartments. And a fan favorite, the back alley appeal of HC Builds, the mess that can be seen through the windows, a bunch of work trucks in the parking lot and a huge boat being stored for all the world to see. Generating income for the City of Flagler Beach means addressing the need for a smarter more effective city government and commission. Change is inevitable. We simply need to work smarter to keep the charm and find intelligent ways to attract those who want to come to the city, spend a night or two, dine out and shop locally. The parking meter debate seems to be circumventing the stated goal of generating money.

The opposition on the parking issue is not representative of the FB residents. Most of the residents here that I know welcome it. Why?? it is simple. We pay city tax to haul garbage off the beach. We put up with inconsiderate speeders and litterers. We pay, they do not. You want to go to the beach? Move here or pay for parking.. Free riders need to pay their share.

What an ill-conceived idea. Flagler Beach is unique. People come here because it has a “hang loose,” hassle-free feel to it, to borrow a phrase from the Hawaiians. If you start taking away all the little things that make it different and special, it will backfire. Free parking is a must. It encourages people passing through to make a spur of the moment decision to stop at a restaurant and maybe visit a few shops. This idea is a business-killer. Forget it!

Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert.
Congress said, “Someone may steal from it at night.”
So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job.
Then Congress said, “How does the watchman do his job without instruction?”
So they created a planning department and hired two people, one person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies.
Then Congress said, “How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?”
So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people. One was to do the studies and one was to write the reports.
Then Congress said, “How are these people going to get paid?”
So they created two positions: a time keeper and a payroll officer then hired two people.
Then Congress said, “Who will be accountable for all of these people?”
So they created an administrative section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary.
Then Congress said, “We have had this command in operation for one year and we are $918,000 over budget, we must cut back.”
So they laid-off the night watchman.

NOW slowly, let it sink in.
Quietly, we go like sheep to slaughter. Does anybody remember the reason given for the establishment of the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY during the Carter administration?
Anybody?

No?
Didn’t think so!
Bottom line is, we’ve spent several hundred billion dollars in support of an agency, the reason for which very few people who read this can remember!
Ready?
It was very simple… and at the time, everybody thought it very appropriate.

The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977, TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.

AND NOW IT’S 2019 — 42 YEARS LATER — AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS “NECESSARY” DEPARTMENT IS AT $29.2 BILLION A YEAR. IT HAS 18,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND APPROXIMATELY 116,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES; AND LOOK AT THE JOB IT HAS DONE!

As a beachside resident, I’m somewhere on the fence with this issue. I’ve noticed over the last decade the influx of non-resident visitors to our beach… which I love to see. Business has begun to flourish again, people out having a good time, etc. I’m all for that. On the flip side of the coin, I’ve also seen an increase in trash and general disrespect of our beach… not everyone of course but just an influx I’m sure that is related to the increase in visitors. The maintenance over here is ridden on the backs of residents.. a price Ive been willing to pay for the luck to be over here of course.

That’s said, I’d like to see an additional revenue stream coming in relating to the tourists and non-residents that visit. However, I’m not sure that paid parking is the way to do that. I’m afraid it would drive away business hurting our local mom and pops. That’s definitely not something I’m for.

I bet if Flagler beach charged the taxpayers of Palm Coast , Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach, Bunnell, etc. $5.00 a year on their tax bill to go towards the expenses of maintaining the beach and parking areas, that would more than cover the expenses and give Flagler Beach a profit and $5.00 a year times each homeowner is total chump change. No hiring of meter maids no consultants no purchasing of meters, no maintenance, no hassle period. Tally up the number of households, apartment owners ( each tenant would pay $5.00 year) there are and multiply by 5. As far as beachgoers using restaurant parking lots as a beach parking space, make them pay $5.00 per car as they pull in but, if they eat at their restaurant the $5.00 will be taken off the bill or just given back to them in cash. Just a thought

Most of the visitors are there on Sunday…. St Augustine has free Parking on Sunday …….. what day will be free in dumpy Flagler Beach ? There is hardly any reason to stop in the town if you have to pay ….. Your town does not even come close to the destination of St Augustine .

wait until you end up pay salary and benefits for meter readers. It will go on for ever. FB will not make money fro this. It will only push people away from restaurants and businesses. I for one will just drive a couple of miles down a1a out FB and park and enjoy the same ocean where there is no fee for parking

There seems to be an interesting attitude towards non Beach residents. Some of us care about Flagler Beach just as much as you who live here full time.

I have worked in the Flagler Beach area for over 5 years and consider it a home away from home. During the course of the day I eat local and shop local. I live in Palm Coast because I can’t afford rent near the beach.

My job requires working in different parts of town. Parking is already difficult and during Bike Week/Spring Break it’s miserable. Only time of year I dread coming to work LOL.

How are you going to address residents and employee’s parking in the area? I’m not paying to do my job and hunting for parking is a hassle. I know because I’ve had to do it working in Saint Augustine.

Wouldn’t some sort of beach access pass be more economical? Saint Johns county offers Beach passes. Why not take a look at what others are doing and float more options.

You Flagler Beach residents concerned over garbage collection costs ever consider how much it costs the other taxpayers in this county, state and country to rebuild your beach and roads after storms? If you had to pay those expenses just in local taxes,or parking fees, it would never be repaired. Who’s really the freeloaders here?

Chris Conklin is 100% CORRECT!!!! What are you people thinking? Let the Flagler County FAMILIES that come to the beach for a day, be able to do so without worrying about when the meter is going to run out. Let’s vote on NEW COMMISSIONERS who actually care about the FLAGLER COUNTY FAMILIES!!!!! and not so much their own pockets!!!

Flagler Beach commissioners creating one more costly spool of red tape to overburden the public with parking fees that will not resolve anything and will hinder the businesses revenue. Those existing home owners in Flagler Beach knew very well about the traffic, the free parking, tourism and noisy establishments when they bought there and now they cry wolf and want to change it all to their convenience with stiffer noise ordinances, added fees, etc. etc. Parking fees to be levied is the same as preventing families and surfers the free use of the beach is unfairly profiteering from the water front in favor of costly consultant until now, plus the contractor to install and run the meters because at the end of the day city will profit zit! Those quasi water front residents in favor of this plan forget that the beach belongs to the public not just to them. Do we want to become the northeast that unless the public makes long lines to access the beach at a fee paid state park and sometimes don’t even make it in, they have no right to go to the beach in most of the Atlantic Coast..?

What about all the HS kids and seniors that enjoy going to the beach but have a limited budget? Most of these kids don’t have $5 for lunch much less for a day of parking. And yes, they stay st the beach for hours!

We recently moved to Flagler Beach from IL.
The greatest attraction for us was the “frozen in time” character of the town. To us, it really is like “Mayberry on the beach”, which is exactly what we wanted.

Installing parking meters, etc, would definitely take away from the ambiance that is Flagler Beach.
We STRONGLY oppose this proposal.

Another option might be: float a bond issue and build a 2 or 3 story parking garage a couple of blocks West of A1A, near Rt 100. (Just a preliminary suggestion).

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